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Ideas and Resources for Schools

Need some stuff to improve the safety of school crossings? How about some goodies for promotions to highlight road safety? Or events to encourage active travel to school?

Roadsafe Taranaki can provide schools with pedestrian flags (hand held, great for extra visibility), high visibility vests (for school crossing supervision) and other road safety resources.
Contact: Marion Webby, Road Safety Co-ordinator
Phone: 06-278 0555 or 0800 111 323
Email: marion.webby@stdc.govt.nz

The Police Youth Education Officers offer cycling training programmes and assist with safety/enforcement issues.
Contact: Youth Education, New Plymouth Police
Phone: 06-759 5500

Schools can ask us to have engineering or minor safety works investigated to improve the safety of their school access. This could include kea crossings, removal of parking, installation of pedestrian crossings and kerb extensions.

School travel plans

Cycling to school. Photo: Nathaniel Benefield. The key aims for school travel plans are to reduce traffic congestion around the school gate and provide safer access for walking and cycling. It should include an action plan with an achievable timeline and a variety of activities to encourage students to walk or cycle to school.

Surveying students on their travel methods, routes and hazards is the best place to start building your travel plan from. Then working with school staff, parents, the Board of Trustees and students, a travel plan can be created to achieve a safe and active culture of travel.

Alarmingly the Hillary Commission found that 30% of 5-12 year olds (primary school children) were considered to be inactive. Getting students to use something other than cars to get around in is not only a great way of encouraging healthy lifestyle habits but also a practical way of teaching road safety skills.

Along with setting up walking school buses and other initiatives as part school travel plans, other sustainable transport ideas include carpooling and school buses. School buses are a particularly effective way to transport large groups of students to and from school.

For advice about setting up a school travel plan contact Taranaki's Roadsense Co-ordinator.
Contact: Alison Johns, Roadsense Co-ordinator
Phone: 06-751 2016
Email: alison@educating.co.nz

Walking school bus

Walking school buses are a safe and convenient way for students to travel to school. They are a great way of reducing road congestion around schools, creating a sense of neighbourhood community as well as offering an opportunity for children to become independent and learn road sense in a safe and supervised environment.

A walking school bus is made of a group of families who make up a roster to take turns walking their children to school – either from the ‘drivers’ house or by ‘picking them up’ on the way. Typically, a walking school bus is made up of one parent ‘driving’ up to eight children.

“Our walking school bus works for families who use it (both) am and pm,… just am or just pm, and families who only use it once to two days a week. I personally believe that the more families involved the better. If you have five plus families in your group then there is more flexibility.” – Parent and walking school bus user.

“From our experience of the walking school bus it has only been a positive thing. It gets all of us walking more and the children don’t complain about walking like the used to. Socially it’s great because the children meet other children that they otherwise would’ve known only by sight … The grown-ups get to know other grown-ups better too!” – Parent and walking school bus user.

Walking school bus support kit
A support kit has been developed by Land Transport NZ and is available free of charge to any school wanting to set up walking school buses. The kit contains:

A pamphlet all about walking school buses.
Sashes for visibility, identity and sense of pride.
Fridge magnets for names and telephone number of members in your walking school bus.
Travel cards for children to complete and return for certificates of achievement.

Tips for teachers

Awesomely Active Shield
The Awesomely Active Shield is awarded to the class with the highest percentage of children who walk or cycle to school on a given day, and is put up for grabs on a regular basis. A way to foster a walking/cycling spirit at school.

Mystery Caught Walking/Cycling Days
These are days when children who walk or cycle to school are given a ticket to write their name on which makes them eligible for a prize draw at assembly. Names are drawn, with the lucky winners receiving prizes like a family swim pass. A good way to integrate health and safety issues with everyday school activities like getting to school.

School Road Safety Policies
Having the Board of Trustees develop a school road safety policy can be a good way to get the road safety message across to the school community. Parents sign the policy at the time of enrolment to show their commitment. A road safety policy outlines the practices expected of children and parents as they enter and exit school gates and address issues such as parking problems. The policy can also specify any consequences that might arise from behaviour that puts children's safety at risk (e.g. stopping on no parking lines).

Local Walk to School Days
Walk to School Days is something school councils or classrooms can organise. As an incentive for walking, children go in a draw and win spot prizes. The day can be promoted through class discussions on the benefits of walking, posters and articles in the school newsletter.

Car Free Days
A 'Car Free Day', aimed at parents who normally drive their children to school, reduces the effects of vehicles outside schools.

Walking Wednesdays Class Challenge
Apart from reducing school related traffic, walking to school helps children learn to be streetwise pedestrians. But many families may feel they live too far from school to be able to walk. The Walking Wednesdays Class Challenge encourages families to walk part of the way to school (for around 10 minutes) so they enjoy the health benefits of walking as well as reducing congestion at the school gate.

Participants are rewarded and encouraged with small items (stickers, bag tags, lanyards) and a certificate acknowledging their effort. The class with the highest level of involvement could be win swimming passes for an active class outing.
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Tips for drivers

Traffic crashes are the biggest killer of school age children. Be prepared to give way to children even if you have right of way. Children have trouble judging speed and where sounds are coming from. They tend to think about one thing at a time and have trouble stopping in time. Children lack peripheral vision, are small and hard to see. Please slow down.

Driving to school

Many car trips to school are less than one kilometre long - role model safe behaviour and walk your child to school.

Parking near school

Park safely and walk to the school gate to pick up or deliver your child.
Never call to your child across the road.
Never double park outside school or stop on the no parking areas – help create smooth traffic flow and to keep children out of the way of cars.
Have the children use the door on the footpath side - it keeps them away from the traffic.
On wet days, use your lights, bring an umbrella and be prepared to walk further than usual.

Role modelling

Children will copy your example. Where provided, use the school crossing point or traffic signals rather than crossing anywhere.
Make exercise part of your daily routine by walking children to school.

Watch out for cyclists

The Police recommend children under 10 years of age should be accompanied when cycling to school – it’s a great way to teach them safe cycling as well.
Get your kids to wear bright clothing when cycling and amke sure the helmet fits!
Cyclists turning right are exposed - and need extra consideration from motorists.

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